# US crude heads to Asia via Panama Canal as Iran crisis redraws trade flows | Reuters

> Asian refiners are increasingly buying medium-sized US Gulf Coast crude cargoes, which are moving via the Panama Canal. The shift is driven by the Iran crisis disrupting existing trade flows.

- Date: 2026-03-19 · published 2026-03-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16872-us-crude-heads-to-asia-via-panama-canal-as-iran-crisis-redraws-trade-flows
- Commodities: [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md)

## Why it matters

Longer shipping routes and tighter alternative supplies raise crude freight costs and energy-linked input costs for feed production.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bullish ▲
- BRENT: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WTI | 2026-05-21 | [Iran war boosts Panama Canal traffic](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16859-iran-war-boosts-panama-canal-traffic.md) | -8.7% | -14.0% |
| WTI | 2026-09-17 | [Panama Canal stress shows the real shipping squeeze may still be ahead \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16765-panama-canal-stress-shows-the-real-shipping-squeeze-may-still-be-ahead-reuters.md) | -7.8% | -6.5% |
| WTI | 2023-07-27 | [Grain Journal \| USDA Grain Transportation Report (7/27): Panama Canal…](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34948-grain-journal-usda-grain-transportation-report-7-27-panama-canal.md) | +0.6% | -0.1% |
| WTI | 2022-03-23 | [Oil jumps 5% as Caspian pipeline disruption adds to supply fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8484-oil-jumps-5-as-caspian-pipeline-disruption-adds-to-supply-fears-reuters.md) | -6.3% | -7.8% |
| WTI | 2026-03-12 | [With the Strait of Hormuz choked by war, the Panama Canal reaps the benefits \| CNN](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16871-with-the-strait-of-hormuz-choked-by-war-the-panama-canal-reaps-the-benefits-cnn.md) | +10.6% | +13.9% |
| BRENT | 2022-03-23 | [Oil jumps 5% as Caspian pipeline disruption adds to supply fears \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8484-oil-jumps-5-as-caspian-pipeline-disruption-adds-to-supply-fears-reuters.md) | -5.9% | -10.6% |
| BRENT | 2026-05-21 | [With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the Panama Canal is busier than ever. It should use this windfall wisely. - Atlantic Council](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16861-with-the-strait-of-hormuz-closed-the-panama-canal-is-busier-than-ever-it-should.md) | -9.8% | -18.8% |
| BRENT | 2022-03-29 | [CPC pipeline outage forces Kazakhstan to cut oil output by a fifth \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/42430-cpc-pipeline-outage-forces-kazakhstan-to-cut-oil-output-by-a-fifth-reuters.md) | -5.0% | -8.4% |

## Sources

- reuters.com: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-crude-heads-asia-via-panama-canal-iran-crisis-redraws-trade-flows-2026-03-19/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.